[Isaac's eyes lit up with surprise and relief, glad that he his assumption of the journal's unique features was right. Piecing together his posture and tone, his voice is purged of anxiety and desperation now.]
Nice to meet you, Professor Hastings. [He lightly held his chin after taking in his situation. Afterwards, he let out a heavy breath of exasperation. After all, anything in the field of human experimentation, especially if it involves him, isn't something that tickles Isaac's fancy.
Sooo... this "Luceti," it's just one big damn experimentation field? And I'm fresh meat? What's the purpose of this? [It's may sound obvious that Isaac has gone through the whole experimentation crap before, and hasn't enjoyed said encounters very much.] And why do I have these wings? Do the "Malnosso" think it's funny?
...
[Isaac then relaxed and looked downwards for a moment before facing Robert again through the transmission.]
... Sorry for sounding rash for a moment. Can't say I'm new to this, let's leave it at that. I'm just so confused, and this is all very sudden.
I only wish that our meeting could have been under more acceptable circumstances, Isaac Clarke. [Robert isn't sure if he should use "Mr.", even if Luceti has been spectacularly devoid of trans people so far.]
Essentially, yes. As far as I have been able to ascertain, the Malnosso - the "scientists" [- and Robert's voice drips with disdain as he says this -] running this compound have no qualms about ethics or obtaining consent from their sapient subjects. They simply use us however they please, for whatever purposes they deem necessary.
As for these wing-like appendages... I regret to inform you I have no idea what purpose they serve. Their only function seems to be to cause us pain if damaged in any way - I would strongly advise against you attempting to remove either the feathers or the wings themselves, as doing so could be fatal to you. I realize that this is uncomfortable, to say the least, but the grafts appear to be harmless if not damaged. I intend to study them better in the immediate future. [Or whenever the mun can figure out when.]
... Is there any further assistance I can provide for you?
[Isaac could merely lower his head as he kneads his forehead with his thumb and fingertips. He then glances back toward Robert with a frustrated expression, as if to say "are you kidding me?"]
So these things ARE real... I wasn't hallucinating after all. [The tone of the latter sentence seethes with disappointment, which may come off as a little awkward for Robert.] ... and not just real, but a potential death ticket if they're damaged? Great.
Well... what matters now is that I understand my situation... or at least, trying to understand.
[He takes a quiet sigh, then rotates his neck, which results a muffled snap. Isaac recoils slightly; he's still sore.] Ngh... well, what I'd also like to ask is where I could find my equipment. I was wearing an advanced full body suit that had protective plating, and had a health meter along the spine. It's called a Resource Integration Gear suit, or RIG for short. I've no idea how I came here without it on, as a machine is normally required to fit a human. Do you have any idea where I could find such a thing, Professor?
Indeed you were not hallucinating, and they are quite real. The graft job is, admittedly, remarkably well-done. Though I expect yours will give you some discomfort for awhile - that tends to be the case with freshly-grafted wings.
As for your equipment... [Robert thinks quietly to himself.] It is likely you will find it in either the shops or the armory, depending on whether the Malnosso deemed it weapon-capable or not; their distinctions seem to be rather arbitrary. A fellow New Feather's prosthetic arm was a recent target of their debacle, for example.
Both the shop and the armory are labelled on a map in the guide to Luceti composed by one of the residents, Ms. Raine Sage. If you need any further assistance in deciphering the map or understanding the rest of the data in that guide, I will be happy to oblige.
Hmm... a shop and an armory? That's convenient. [Knowing that there's this kind of a lead is enough to fully calm Isaac to his more relaxed, almost informal tone.]
So... I suppose the shop is where my RIG may be located, as it's an outfit, even though it has certain modules attached... but there's still the matter of getting my 211-V Plasma Cutter tool back as well... so I may as well take a look in the armory for that.
[Isaac skims over the guide while nesting his chin between his thumb and index finger, nodding as he comprehends.] Alright, in that case... I suppose I'm settled. You've been a great help, Professor. Maybe we'll talk again some day.
I would certainly appreciate that, Isaac Clarke. Please do feel free to contact me at any point in the future. I would much like to speak to a fellow intellectual, and you are the first certified engineer I have had the pleasure of speaking to in Luceti. [Robert's tone is genuine and respectful. Engineers may not be in the Big Three of intellectually-oriented jobs on Terra, but they are certainly enough to get Robert's attention.]
Nice to meet you, Professor Hastings. [He lightly held his chin after taking in his situation. Afterwards, he let out a heavy breath of exasperation. After all, anything in the field of human experimentation, especially if it involves him, isn't something that tickles Isaac's fancy.
Sooo... this "Luceti," it's just one big damn experimentation field? And I'm fresh meat? What's the purpose of this? [It's may sound obvious that Isaac has gone through the whole experimentation crap before, and hasn't enjoyed said encounters very much.] And why do I have these wings? Do the "Malnosso" think it's funny?
...
[Isaac then relaxed and looked downwards for a moment before facing Robert again through the transmission.]
... Sorry for sounding rash for a moment. Can't say I'm new to this, let's leave it at that. I'm just so confused, and this is all very sudden.
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Essentially, yes. As far as I have been able to ascertain, the Malnosso - the "scientists" [- and Robert's voice drips with disdain as he says this -] running this compound have no qualms about ethics or obtaining consent from their sapient subjects. They simply use us however they please, for whatever purposes they deem necessary.
As for these wing-like appendages... I regret to inform you I have no idea what purpose they serve. Their only function seems to be to cause us pain if damaged in any way - I would strongly advise against you attempting to remove either the feathers or the wings themselves, as doing so could be fatal to you. I realize that this is uncomfortable, to say the least, but the grafts appear to be harmless if not damaged. I intend to study them better in the immediate future. [Or whenever the mun can figure out when.]
... Is there any further assistance I can provide for you?
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So these things ARE real... I wasn't hallucinating after all. [The tone of the latter sentence seethes with disappointment, which may come off as a little awkward for Robert.] ... and not just real, but a potential death ticket if they're damaged? Great.
Well... what matters now is that I understand my situation... or at least, trying to understand.
[He takes a quiet sigh, then rotates his neck, which results a muffled snap. Isaac recoils slightly; he's still sore.] Ngh... well, what I'd also like to ask is where I could find my equipment. I was wearing an advanced full body suit that had protective plating, and had a health meter along the spine. It's called a Resource Integration Gear suit, or RIG for short. I've no idea how I came here without it on, as a machine is normally required to fit a human. Do you have any idea where I could find such a thing, Professor?
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As for your equipment... [Robert thinks quietly to himself.] It is likely you will find it in either the shops or the armory, depending on whether the Malnosso deemed it weapon-capable or not; their distinctions seem to be rather arbitrary. A fellow New Feather's prosthetic arm was a recent target of their debacle, for example.
Both the shop and the armory are labelled on a map in the guide to Luceti composed by one of the residents, Ms. Raine Sage. If you need any further assistance in deciphering the map or understanding the rest of the data in that guide, I will be happy to oblige.
Reply
So... I suppose the shop is where my RIG may be located, as it's an outfit, even though it has certain modules attached... but there's still the matter of getting my 211-V Plasma Cutter tool back as well... so I may as well take a look in the armory for that.
[Isaac skims over the guide while nesting his chin between his thumb and index finger, nodding as he comprehends.] Alright, in that case... I suppose I'm settled. You've been a great help, Professor. Maybe we'll talk again some day.
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